Gascoyne, The Sandal Wood Trader eBook

Now was the time for the savage to wreak his vengeance
on his enemy; but, fortunately, that villain, despite
his subtlety and cunning, had not conceived the possibility
of the youth indulging in such an unnatural recreation
as a nap in the forenoon. He had, therefore,
retired to his native jungle, and during the hour in
which Henry was buried in repose, and in which he
might have accomplished his end without danger or
uncertainty, he was seated in a dark, cave, moodily
resolving in his mind future plans of villainy, and,
indulging the hope that on the youth’s returning
homeward be would be more successful in finding a
favorable opportunity to take his life.

During this same hour it was that our low-hulled little
schooner hove in sight on the horizon, ran swiftly
down before the breeze, cast anchor in the bay, and
sent her boat ashore, as we have seen, with the captain,
the surly man called Dick, and our friend John Bumpus.

It happened that, just as the boat ran under the shelter
of a rocky point and touched the strand, Keona left
his cave for the purpose of observing what young Stuart
was about. He knew that he could not have retraced
his homeward way without passing within sight of his
place of concealment.

A glance of surprise crossed his dark visage as he
crept to the edge of the underwood and saw the schooner
at anchor in the bay. This was succeeded by a
fiendish grin of exultation as his eye fell on the
slumbering form of the youth. He instantly took
advantage of the opportunity; and so deeply was he
engrossed with his murderous intention, that he did
not observe the captain of the schooner as he turned
a projecting rock, and suddenly appeared upon the scene.
The captain, however, saw the savage, and instantly
drew back, signing, at the same time, to his two men
to keep under cover.

A second glance showed him the sleeping form of Henry,
and, almost before he had time to suspect that foul
play was going on, he saw the savage glide from the
bushes to the side of the sleeper, raise his spear,
and poise it for one moment, as if to make sure of
sending it straight to the youth’s heart.

There was not a moment to lose. The captain carried
a short carbine in his hand, with which he took aim
at the savage,—­going down on one knee to
make a surer shot, for the carbine of those days was
not to be depended on at a distance much beyond a
hundred yards; and as the actors in this scene were
separated by even more than that distance, there was
a considerable chance of missing the savage and hitting
the young man.

This, however, was not a moment to calculate chances.
The captain pulled the trigger, and the crash of the
shot was followed by a howl from the savage, as his
uplifted arm dropped to his side, and the spear fell
across the face of the sleeper. Henry instantly
awoke, and sprang up with the agility of a panther.
Before he could observe what had occurred, Keona leaped
into the bushes disappeared. Henry at once bounded
after him; and the captain, giving vent to a lusty
cheer, rushed across the beach, and sprang into the
forest, closely followed by surly Diet and John Bumpus,
whose united cheers of excitement and shouts of defiance
awoke the echoes of the place with clamorous discords.